| Author | William Morris |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Kelmscott Press |
Publication date | 1897 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 508 |
| ISBN | 978-1514832653 |
| Text | The Sundering Flood at Wikisource |
_-_map.png)
The Sundering Flood is a fantasy novel by British writer William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the element of the supernatural, and thus the precursor of much of present-day fantasy literature.[1] The Sundering Flood was Morris' last work of fiction, completed only in rough draft, with the ending dictated from his deathbed. It was edited posthumously by his daughter May into finished form for publication and published in 1897.
Morris considered his fantasies a revival of the medieval tradition of chivalrous romances, and was accordingly willing to use archaic-sounding language. However, in editor and critic Lin Carter's estimation, "Morris' imitation of medieval prose was not overdone: clarity and simplicity and a certain haunting and lyrical music makes it very readable."[2]
- ^ De Camp, L. Sprague (1976). Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy. Arkham House. p. 40. ISBN 0-87054-076-9.
- ^ Carter, Lin (1969). Tolkien: A Look Behind "The Lord of the Rings". New York: Ballantine. p. 137.